Portable emergency train flag-stop for railways.



W. E. WHITE, B. GWATKIN & V. E. RANDALL. PORTABLE EMERGENCY TR'AIN FLAGSTOP FDR RAILWAYS.

APPLlCATION FILED APR.22,1916.

1 ,279,058, latented Sept. 17, 1918.

INVENTORS.

UNITED sTATns PATENT OFFICE.

VVIIESON E. WHITE, 0F DETROIT, AND BENJAMIN GXVATKIN AND VICTOR ERANDALL,

l OF BATTLE CREEK, MIGHIGAN. V

' VIIPORTABLE EMERGENCY TRAIN" FLAG-STOPFQR nAILwAYs.

'Detroit, in the'county of Wayne and State of Michigan, and BENJAMINGWATKIN and V1o'ron E. RANDALL, citizens of the United Stat'esyresidingat Battle Creek, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements 111 Portable EmergencyTram Fla Sto as for Railwa s of which thefolxlowing is a specification.

The present invention more p'artlcularly relates to emergency stops foruse in connection with rolling stock, having specially de signedapparatus to beactuated' by a post or stop over which the trainpasses,.and which will, by engaging said stop, bring the train to a haltregardless of any action at the hands said train without any volition onof the engineer or other train operative.

As ordinarily constructed, apparatus for the purpose has been fixed andlimited to semaphores, targets and switches. The present inventioncontemplates an apparatus that may be carried on the engine, tender,caboose or other car, sothat should any occasion arise necessitating thestopping of an apl'iroachingtrain, a brakeman, fireman or other partycan place the emergency stop, either with or without a fiag, at somepoint in the path of the coming train and stop the'part of the engineeror fireman in charge thereof.

1 An object of the invention is to provide a device of the class thatwill be simple, substantial, easily operated and thoroughly efiicaciousfor the purpose designed. With these and other objects in view, theinvention will be more fully set forth in the following specification,shown in the accompanying drawings and claims. 7 V V The drawingsillustrate a preferred embodimentof our invention ini which Figure 1 isa plan view of our improved train stop installed between the railson aroad bed.

Fig, 2 is a side View of the .same, and a cross section of a road bed.

Fig.- 3 is a perspective view of our improved train stop preparatory tofitting to defined in the appended the T-railsp In the drawings. likemarks of reference refer to corresponding parts inithe different viewsin which A represents the Trails; B, the ties ofa railway road bed; andC, our improved train stop.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept 17; 1918 a plicationfiled April 22, 191a serial No. 92,862. V 1

r The stop in the main comprises two sections, 1 and 2,'connecte'd by' apintle 3, and

adjustable side brace arms 4: fitted to an upright post 5 forming partof the section 1.

The section 1 has an offset extension 6 in alinement with the section 2and preferably is provided with a when the sections are fully extended,as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 will project within or through acorrespondingly formed aperture in the section 2 for the purpose of assisting in connection with the pint-1e 3 to prevent side thrust of theparts 'when stress is brought to bear on the post 5 when said postengages with train mechanism to operate the brakes etc;

At either end of the sections 1 and 2 forked extremities 8 are providedto stride the inner bottom flanges of the rails. Prei erably one of thesections is provided with an adjustable forked extremity, as 9', for thepurpose of affording absolute and minute adjustment of the apparatus torails of va rious width flanges." As shown, the adjust ableextremity 9is formed with a 'couple'of elongated slots lOthrough one of which aheaded stud 11 projects from thesection 1,

the opposite slot receiving a. stud'project ing fron'l said section andfitted with a screwthrea'ded hand-lever 12 by which provisions saidsection may be longitudinally moved with respect to said section 1 andbe firmly securedby means of said hand lever; V Ad acent to the offsetextension 6, a handop'erating latch 13 is pivotally secured tothesection 2. This latch has an overhanging lip 1a which when theextension6 is foldably seated upon said section 2 may be turned toprevent said"extension from raising and thereby hold said sections '1 and 2 inaline-- ment between the rails, as shown in Fig. 2.

That additional stability may bepro-vided to prevent the post 5 fromside thrust, as heretofore mentioned, two adjustable stabilizing arms=i-laterally project therefrom inopposite directions. These arms havelon 15 (Fig.7 3d

gitudinally formed slots H throughwhich a bolt l t passing through saidpost projects, one ,end of the bolt being formed: with a head, theopposite end being screw-threaded and fitted with a hand nut 16 1))Which said arms may be firmly bound These to said. post when suitablyadjustoc. arms at their outer extrei'mtiesare curved and pointed for thepurpose of more readily depending stud 7 which engag ng ties to-whichthey are fitted to brace said post 5 in the operation of the train stop.

As shown, the post 5 is provided with a socket 17 into which the handleof a signal flag 18 may be placed. An object in placing a flag on thetrain stop is to give an engineer due warning to slow down and stop,which warning if ignored would result in the stalling of the trainshould the engineer undertake to pass over the flag.

At night, in dense fog, or on sharp curves in the right of way, anengineers vision is almost if not entirely of no avail, and to provide astop under such conditions that will be absolutely infallible forstopping oncoming trains near points where danger is imminent, thepresent stop has been de vised.

-lVhile we have disclosed a preferred embodiment of our invention,tothose skilled A in mechanicsit might devolve that certainmodifications and details of construction could be resorted'to to effecta like result, and we reserve the right to arrange and construct ourimproved stop in any manner compatible within the limit and scope of ourinvention.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, amore extended explanation of the objects and ad vantages of ourinvention is believed unnecessary.

Having, therefore, explained our invention, what we claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is: V

1. In a device of the class set forth, the combination of portablehinged sections arranged to engage the flanges of the rails of aroadbed, one of said sections having an upright post adapted to engage aprearranged device on rolling stock that will automatically bring saidrolling stock to a halt when brought in contact with said post, andmeans to rigidly hold said sections alined between said rails.

2. In a device of the class set forth, the combination of portablehinged sections having slotted extremities adapted to engage the flangesof the rails of a roadbed, one of said sections having an upright postadapted to engage a pre-arranged device on rolling stock that willautomatically bring said rolling stock to a halt when brought in contactwith said post, and means to rigidly hold said sections alined betweensaid rails.

3. In a device of the class set forth, the combination of portablehinged sections, one of said sections having a slotted extremity, theopposite section having an adjustable slotted extremity, said slottedextremities adapted'to engage the flanges of the rails of a roadbed, apost extending up- Copies of this patent may. he obtained' forextremities adapted to engage thefianges of opposite rails in a roadbed,said sections being hinged and arranged to form an abut ting contactwhen brought into alinement, means to rigidly afiixsaid sections inalinement between said rails, and an upright post extending from one ofsaid sections, sai post adapted to engage a pre-arranged device onrolling stock that will automatically bring said rolling stock to a haltwhen brought in contact with said post.

5; In a device of the class set forth, the combination of hingedsections having slotted extremities adapted to engage the flanges ofopposite rails in a roadbed, said sections being hinged and arranged toabut when brought into alinement between said rails, means to rigidlyinterlock said abutting sections, an upright post extending from one ofsaid sections, adjustable brace arms extending from said post adapted toengage ties either side of said hinged sections and stabilize said postfrom lateral movement, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

6. In a device of the class set forth, the combination of a portableapparatus arranged to engage the rails of a roadbed and having anupright post adapted to engage a pre-arranged device on rolling stockthat will automatically bring said rolling stock to a halt when broughtinto contact with said post, and means on said post for receiving thehandle of a signal flag," for the purpose set forth and described.

Signed at Detroit, Michigan, this 13th day of April, 1916.

WILSON E. WHITE.

Witnesses: 7

JAMES C. FLANnnRs, PAULA P. FLANDERS. V

Signed at Battle Creek, Michigan, this 13thday of April, 1916.

' BENJAMIN GWATKIN.

Witnesses:

JAMES-C. FLANDERS, PAULA P. FLANDERS. Signed at Battle Creek, Michigan,this 11th day of April, 1916. 7

VICTOR E. RANDALL.

Witnesses -N. B. FUNK,-

J. P. BURGIE.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 0!- Patents, Washington,D. 0.

